By Suzie Ziegler
SAN DIEGO — San Diego police officers will once again march in uniform for the city’s Pride parade, ending a two-year uniform ban by organizers, CBS 8 reported. The move stands in contrast with other Pride events, like San Francisco’s, that waffled on police uniforms, sometimes banning them altogether and sometimes allowing “soft” uniforms.
Saturday’s parade in San Diego will also be the first time the event has been held in person since 2019.
“I’m excited that I get to represent who I am,” Officer “Kiki” Coston told CBS 8. “I’m a part of the LGBTQ community and I’m a part of the San Diego Police Department and being able to mesh those two together and represent who I really am, it’s an amazing feeling.”
Since 2020, Pride organizers in San Diego have had ongoing conversations with local law enforcement agencies, the report said. Sgt. Michael Gonzales of the San Diego Sheriff’s Department served as a liaison for organizers.
“We will be in full uniform, which we’re extremely excited about because this is a second skin for us as somebody who is not just a member of the LGBTQ community, but also in law enforcement,” Gonzales told CBS 8.
Kelly Martinez, the undersheriff of San Diego County, says her agency is committed to participating in the Pride parade every year going forward.
“I think we’ve built some bridges,” Martinez said. “It’s something for us to participate and show this community that we care and this is that opportunity to do that.”